We're heading to that island, following the coordinates on the map. We're out on the water. Luckily, John managed to fix the boat before he died—we only had to fill up the tank. Good thing the fuel was still in good condition, so we got it running and set off. Loira is in the driver's seat, steering us forward, while I sit in the corner of the boat, lost in my thoughts. Thinking and thinking and thinking. Gina, on the other hand, is just taking in the view. I know she's never seen the ocean before, or anything close to it, so she's just enjoying the moment. The sky is clear and blue—a good sign. If there was even a single cloud, we'd be worried about storms. So, for once, we're lucky. "Avi!" I hear my name. It's Gina calling me. I look at her. "Yeah?" She points ahead, excitement in her eyes. "Look!" I follow her finger and see it—the island. My heart skips a beat. I turn to Loira immediately. "Loira, we're close!" For the first time in a long while, I feel something other than fear and exhaustion. Hope. I need this island. I need a break from all of this. I hope this is the end of our journey. That we can finally settle down there. Forever. I don't want to go back to running in fear. I don't want to keep losing.
We sail toward the island and dock the boat. As we step onto land, the first thing I see is a dense forest stretching out in front of us. This isn't what I was expecting. But I guess it makes sense. It's a bunker—it has to be hidden from the world. Maybe they made the island look normal on purpose. Or maybe, after more than ten years, nature just took over. Either way, it doesn't matter. We need to get in there and search the place. We gather our gear. I strap on my Glock, sling my M4 Carbine over my shoulder, and pocket a UV light—just in case. A knife. Extra bullets. We have to be prepared for anything. We still don't know what's on this island. I pray nothing bad happens to us. I glance at Gina and say, "Gina, hold on to me, okay?" Then I turn to Loira beside me. "Loira, stay close." Raising my gun, I take a step forward, scanning the trees ahead. I'll take the lead. They need to stay close and follow me.
We continue through the forest. Nothing special—just endless trees. But I keep my gun up, ready for anything. Loira, too—she's locked in, eyes scanning every shadow. Gina, on the other hand, just clings to me, staying close. The island seems completely empty. I had my doubts when I first heard about this place. According to the map, it was designed to sustain life for over a hundred years—non-decaying food, unlimited power, solar energy, and all sorts of high-tech systems that don't really interest me. It was built to shelter over two hundred people. So why is it abandoned? How did the people who made this place never reach it? And how did others find out about it? Turns out, the answers were simple. The map was passed down from a rich traveler they met on the road. But the DarkOnes wiped out humanity fast—too fast. They got to the people before they could get here. I don't know why I'm thinking about all this now, like I'm explaining it to someone. A light shines through the trees ahead. The end of the forest. Loira suddenly speeds up, passing me to take the lead. She's too excited to wait. I grab Gina's hand and follow. Loira's moving fast, but I don't call out. I don't tell her to slow down or stick together. Because, truth is, I'm just as eager to see what's waiting for us on the other side. So I hurry up.
We step out of the forest, and in front of us stands a massive door—one that slides open from side to side. It's huge, towering over us like something out of a sci-fi movie. This doesn't look like a bunker at all. It looks more like an aircraft hangar. My expectations are shattered. I thought it'd be some hidden hatch leading underground, but this? This is out in the open. Maybe they built it this way to store more supplies. What kind of supplies? I don't know. And honestly, I don't care. We move in closer, approaching the door carefully. A keypad is mounted on the side. I step up to take a look. The map didn't mention any password. I press a few buttons, hoping for something—anything—but nothing happens. No power. Loira stands behind me, covering my back. She's watching, waiting. "Power's out," I say. "Damn it," she mutters, frustrated. I see it in her eyes—the mix of anger and disappointment. She wanted this to work. She needed it to. I can't let her lose hope. "Let's take a look around, okay?" I tell her, trying to keep her spirits up. She nods, and we start moving, searching for another way in.
We arrive at the other side of the aircraft hangar—if that's even what it is. "Arvid," I hear Loira call. I turn to her. She's pointing toward a door on the far end. It's cracked open just enough for a person to squeeze through. We rush toward it. Lucky for us, it's not fully sealed shut. There's a way in. Thank god. But as I take a step closer, I hesitate. I peer inside. It's pitch black. Something feels... off. Like we shouldn't be here. Like we shouldn't go in. Like something is waiting. I swallow hard and say, "It's dark inside." Loira doesn't even blink. "So? We have UV lights." She shoves one into my hands. "Here." I take it, gripping it tightly. "Are you sure about this?" "Yes, okay? We'll be fine. Let's go." She's too determined. Too desperate. She doesn't even want to think about what could be lurking in there. I hesitate again. My gut is screaming at me to stop. "It's dark inside," I repeat, hoping she'll understand what I really mean. She sighs, frustrated. "So what?" I clench my jaw. "You know what darkness means, right?" Like... did she forget? She glares at me. "Arvid, I don't care, alright? I'm not leaving until I see what's inside." Her voice is sharp, cutting through the heavy silence. Then she steps forward. "If you don't wanna go in, fine! I'll do it alone." My heart pounds. I can't let her go alone. But I know this is a mistake. I sigh, giving in. There's no stopping her. "Fine," I mutter. And with that—We step into the darkness.
We step inside the aircraft hangar. It's dark and empty. Nothing important. Nothing that stands out. We keep moving forward. A staircase leads underground. Loira takes the lead without hesitation. "Follow me," she says. So we do. I keep holding Gina's hand as we descend. The stairs seem endless, spiraling down into the unknown. A bad feeling creeps up my spine, but what can I do? There's no turning back now. We've come too far. Even if fear grips me, I keep my mouth shut. Loira has too much hope for this place, and I can't bring myself to crush it. Finally, we reach the bottom. It's silent. Empty. The air is freezing. How deep underground are we? Loira doesn't seem to care. She just keeps walking forward like she owns the place. Gina, on the other hand, clings to me, quiet and unmoving. No words, no reaction. Just holding on. I don't know how she does it. At her age, I would've freaked out if a bug even landed on me. We step into the middle of the room. Darkness surrounds us, stretching beyond what our UV lights can reach. Silence. Just us, the cold air, and the unknown waiting ahead.
Suddenly, Gina starts screaming. I turn around fast. "What's wrong?" She's trying to tear at her eye, her fingers digging into her skin. She screams louder. I rush to her, panicked. "Gina!" She doesn't answer. She drops to the ground. I catch her just in time. She's struggling, shaking, ripping off the scarf over her eyes. I don't understand—what's happening? Loira calls my name. I look at her—DarkOnes. They're hovering around us. I keep my UV light up, but they're not getting closer. Something hits my neck. I turn—Gina's hands are strangling me. Her grip is too strong. I can't breathe. I gasp, trying to pry her fingers off, but she just tightens her hold. My lungs burn. My vision fades— Darkness. Nothing but darkness. Am I dead? I blink, trying to make sense of it, but there's nothing. Then, I hear it—A giggle. I turn my head. In front of me, Gina is playing with her brother in a field full of flowers and butterflies. They're laughing, chasing a blue butterfly. Why am I seeing this? What does this mean? I take a step forward, my mind racing.
I get closer and closer. Their smiles—so pure, so beautiful. For a moment, I forget everything. I just walk toward them, drawn in, wanting nothing more than to join them, to chase that butterfly. I remember— I'm still just a kid. A teenager caught in this crazy world. A world that turned me into something I was never meant to be. A world that made me alone. Lost. In pain. But here, now—maybe I can leave it all behind. Maybe I can make this life worth living. I keep walking. BANG! A gunshot. I snap awake. Gina drops to the ground. Blood spills from her chest. Her eyes—both of them—glowing red. I turn my head, my breath catching. Loira. She's standing there, gun raised. She shot her. I rush to Gina, my heart pounding. Her red eyes start to fade, turning black. The color drains from them completely. Why? Why did she do that? I start sobbing. Crying. My hands shake as I hold Gina, my mind refusing to process what just happened. Loira grabs me, pulling hard. "We have to go!" I barely hear her. DarkOnes. Closing in. I glance back at Gina's body—Her eyes. They're glowing red again. Her skin turns black, spreading like ink, like something wrong. She moves. No—she jumps. Right at me. She raises her hand. Are those claws? She slashes—sharp, burning pain rips across my chest. I stumble back. What has she become? Loira fires, bullets hitting Gina's body, knocking her down. Then Loira grabs my hand, pulling me with her. "Run!" she yells. I don't fight it. My body moves, but my mind—Lost. Empty. We sprint for the staircase, but I don't even know if I'm running for my life anymore. Or just running because there's nothing else left to do.
I look back at Gina. What I see is unreal. The DarkOnes—they don't even care about us. They're hovering around her, circling like they're protecting her from something. I want to run to her. To grab her. To pull her away. But something in my mind stops me. She's safe there. It feels like I was meant to bring her here. Like this was always the destination. Then I see it. The blue butterfly. It lands gently on her head. And just like that—The DarkOnes engulf her. She vanishes beneath them. I stand frozen. My chest tightens. My breath is shallow. Loira yanks my arm, snapping me back to reality. I turn forward. I keep running.
We stumble out, gasping for air like we've been drowning. My legs give out. I collapse to my knees. And then—I break. Sobbing. Screaming. I clutch my face, my hands shaking, my chest heaving with every cry that rips out of me. It's too much. Too much to process, too much to bear. Loira kneels beside me. She doesn't speak at first. Just wraps her arms around me and holds me tight. "I'm sorry," she whispers. I should blame her. For Gina. For this. For everything. But I don't. Because I know—none of this is her fault. It feels like everything that's happened was meant to. Like we were just playing our parts in some twisted script that was written for us long before we even set foot on this island. So what now? Loira slowly pulls back. Her eyes drop to my chest. And then—Her breath catches. Her face twists in horror. "Oh my god," she whispers. "You're bleeding." She reaches for my ripped shirt, peeling the fabric aside—And her eyes widen. Her lips part, trembling. "Oh no," she breathes. I follow her gaze. And then I see it. The dark spiral. Twisting. Spreading. Crawling up my chest toward my neck. My stomach drops. Shit. This is it. I'm turning. Loira's whole body starts shaking. She grabs my face, her hands cold, her fingers digging into my skin. "No," she sobs. "No. No. No." Tears pour down her cheeks. She's losing it. Completely unraveling. "I'm sorry," she chokes out. The pain in her voice—it's unbearable. This isn't how I thought my life would end. But deep down, I always knew it wouldn't be a happy one. Still, I wanted more. I wanted a future. A family. A life with Loira. I thought we'd find safety here. I thought Gina, Loira, and I would finally be okay. But now, it's all shattered. Gone. What did I do to deserve this? But... Somewhere in my gut, I feel it. This isn't the end for me. There's something more. Something waiting for me on the other side of this. I don't know what it is. But I do know one thing— I need to get Loira to safety. Because the sun is coming down.
Loira's hands tremble in mine. She's falling apart. Breaking right in front of me. And there's nothing I can do to stop it. I lift her face gently, forcing her to look at me. "Look at me," I whisper. Her eyes—god, her eyes. They're drowning in tears, red-rimmed, full of desperation. She's losing me. Forever. And I'm losing her. I want to say something. Anything. Something to calm her down. Something to make this easier. But nothing will. So I lie. "It's okay." I say it again, voice softer. "It's okay." I tilt my head back, looking at the sky. The sun is sinking lower. Time is running out. Only one thing matters now—getting her out of here before night falls. I take a deep breath and say, "The sun is coming down. You have to get out of here." Loira's grip on me tightens. "No," she chokes out. "I'm not leaving you here." I force a smile. "Listen, it's okay." It's not. It's not okay at all. She breaks, shaking her head, crying harder. "It's not okay," she sobs. "You're going to become one of them." "I know," I admit. And I do. This is it. This is how my story ends. "This is how it's written for me," I whisper. "I accept it." It doesn't mean I want it. But I accept it. I force myself back to my feet, pulling Loira up with me. She's still shaking, her knees weak, but I hold her tight. I can't let her fall. Not now. "We don't have much time," I tell her. "We have to get you off this island." I grab her hand. I hold on. And I start running. "Let's go."
Loira is falling apart. And I can't hold her together. Not this time. Not when I'm breaking too. We make it to the boat, but my body—god, my body. Pain rips through me, clawing at my bones, burning through my veins. I collapse, blood spilling from my mouth. I'm going to turn soon. I can feel it. Every part of me is being torn apart from the inside out. I barely have the strength to lift my head, but I manage to choke out— "Go. Get out of here." Loira drops to her knees in front of me, shaking her head. "What about you?" she asks, her voice breaking. I stare at her. And slowly, I pull out my Glock. Her breath catches. Then she screams. She grabs onto me, sobbing, holding me like she can stop this. Like she can change what's already been written. She can't. She doesn't want to let go. And I don't want to do this. I don't want to die. But it's better than turning into one of them. It's better than becoming one of RedEyes. Still—something in me whispers...This isn't the end. There's more. I don't know what. I don't know how. But I feel it. Loira is still screaming, shaking her head, refusing. "No!" Tears blur my vision. My hands shake. I whisper, "I love you." I really do. And it's because I love her that she has to leave. "It's time to go," I force out. "Leave." She won't. She won't let me go. She's clinging to me, willing to die with me. I won't let that happen. I gather what little strength I have left, cupping her face, forcing her to look at me. "Please. Get out of here." She shakes her head, crying harder. "No. I'm not leaving." I grab her tighter, bringing her closer. "The lives that were sacrificed would be in vain if you give up too." Her breath hitches. "John, Rodry, Gina... and me." I hold her tighter. "You can't give up on us. You have to live." I kiss her. One last time. My hands shake against her skin. My lips linger. My body is falling apart, but I don't let go. Not until I have to. I pull back, whispering, "Find others. Start over." She shakes her head, sobbing. "How can you say those things?" she cries. "How?" Tears slip down my face. My voice cracks. "It's the way the world works now." I force a smile. A broken one. "You can't give up—not until the world gives up on you." I squeeze her hand one last time. "Please," I whisper. "Live for me."
She hugs me so tight and kisses my lips one last time. Then, wiping her tears away, she says, "Fine... I'll live." I smile softly. "I'll be right behind you, forever." She gets back on her feet. She's ready to leave. To live. Finally, I made her understand. "Go," I say. She turns around, no longer letting her emotions hold her back. Still crying, she steps onto the boat and starts the engine. Before leaving, she looks back at me one last time. I nod—telling her it's okay. She nods back, then turns away and rides off into the open sea. I look up at the sky. The sunset... it's always so beautiful. I'm glad I'm not dying alone in the darkness. Alright... it's time to go. I couldn't save anyone I loved. I lost them all. But I tried my best to protect them. And I did. The universe took them away from me, but it's okay. This is how my story was written. I glance down at my gun. A blue butterfly lands on it. What are you doing here? What are you? Why do I keep seeing you? It flutters upward, disappearing into the sky. And for the first time in so long, I feel something stir inside me—peace. The boat fades into the horizon. I take one last deep breath. I raise the gun to my head. My final wish—whatever happens next... let it be better. I close my eyes. I pull the trigger.
THE END.........